Farmers in Kaputa and Nsama Districts yesterday stormed the office of Kaputa District Commissioner (DC) demanding payments for the maize supplied to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
The farmers from selected satellite depots who did not find the DC later stormed ZANIS offices complaining that they had not been paid their money since July this year.
Roderick Mwipa of Kampinda Satellite Depot in Nsama district said he sold his maize to FRA on July 30 and has not yet been paid.
Mr Mwipa complained that the delays in paying them will negatively affect this year’s crop production because farmers cannot start preparing their fields.
He said farmers in Kaputa do not have animals or tractors and depend on animals from Democratic Republic of Congo to help them plough and presently they cannot hire them due to lack of money.
Mr Mwipa said Nsama District has received fertilizer but the Ministry of Agriculture is demanding cash before they can give the farmers the inputs.
And David Kalumba of Chipili satellite depot in Kaputa added that continued delays by FRA to pay farmers will discourage new small scale farmers from venturing into crop production.
Another farmer Lackson Mumba of Kaputa Central Satellite Depot claimed that his children have been chased from school because of failure to pay the school fees.
The farmers have since asked government to intervene by ensuring that more funds are released to FRA to pay all the farmers.
Efforts to get a comment from the DC failed as he was reported to be out of the district while FRA officials refused to give a comment on the matter.
The PF Minister of Agriculture said in Parliament that all have been paid, but where is Kaputa and is Kaputa in Zambia or somewhere else. I mean that when PF guys say we have done this we have done that, they are a cheat. I was in Solwezi last week from Kitwe and what came into my mind was to see the three contractors on duty, alas what I saw the road full of dust and potholes and no was on the site apart from Chinese working in Solwez town making a mine round about at Mitech area.
More money in your pockets.I remember you gullibles voting for your bemba tribal lootist men who are busy aligning their pockets.Tiye nayo PF era- everyone is feeling the economic virus.ATI. WITHIN NINETY DAYS-NEW CONSTITUTION-WHERE?
dispite that our beloved incoming president ;s . advice these pf die hard cadres have contnued to hate hh iam sure that now they feel it as well farmers not paid now students cannot be supported workers not happy and even marketeers threatened who then is happy in this tountry
FRA issue is not only in kaputa,even in other districts lik chadiza
Those Chadiza dunderheads should not be paid.